Smith, William

, bishop of Lincoln,
and founder of Brasen-nosr college, Oxford, was the fourth
son of Robert Smyth, of Peelhou^e in Widdows, or Widness, in the parish of Present, Lancashire. His grandfather
was Henry Smyth, esq. of the adjoining township of
Cuertiiy, where the family appears to have resided both.
before and after the birth of the subject of this sketch,
and extended its branches of the same name through various parts of the kingdom. Of his father we have no particular information, nor of the period of his birth, unless
that it took place about the middle of the fifteenth century;
which is, however, not very consistent with the report,
that he was an undergraduate of Oxford so late as 1478.

The same obscurity envelopes his early years. Wood
indeed says, that he was trained up in grammar-learning
in his own country; but in what seminary, or whether his
country at that time could boast of any institution deserving the name of a grammar-school, are subjects of conjecture. His late biographer, with equal acuteness and reason, has supposed him to have been educated in the household of Thomas, the first earl of Derby. The countess of
Richmond, who was the second wife of this nobleman, according to a laudable custom in the houses of the nobility,
provided in this manner for the instruction of young men
of promising talents: and it is known, that she was an
early patron of our founder.

At what time he removed to Oxford is uncertain, nor
has any research discorered the college of which he was a
member. Of his academical honours, all that we know
with certainty is his degree of bachelor of law, which he
had taken some time before 1492, when he was instituted
to the rectory of Cheshuntin Hertfordshire. Wood asserts
that he removed with other scholars from Oxford, dreading
the pestilence which then raged, and went to Cambridge,
where he became fellow, and afterwards master of Pembroke-hall. Browne Willis contradicts this only in part,
by informing us that he became fellow, but not master.
His late biographer, however, Mr. Churton, has decidedlyproved that he never belonged to Cambridge, and that the
mistake of his former biographers originated in his being
| confounded with a. person of both his names, who was fellow of Pembroke-hall, and a contemporary.

To the course of learning usual in his time, and which
was neither copious nor solid, he appears to. have added
the study of the Latin classics of the purer ages, which was.,
then less frequent, although more liberally tolerated, aiifl
more admired, than an acquaintance with the Greek language. In the fifteenth century the latter was scarcely
known, unless to the enterprizing spirit of Grocyn, Linacre, and the other restorers of literature; and was so little
relished, as to be sometimes a topic of ridicule, and sometimes as dangerous as heresy.

For his tirst advancement he is supposed to have been
indebted to the earl of Derby, who was one ol those friends
of Henry VII. whom that monarch rewarded, after the
crown was established in security. Probably also by his
interest Smyth was appointed, September 20, 14-85, to the
office of the clerk of the hanaper, with an annual stipend
of 40l. and an additional allowance of eighteen-pence per
day during his attendance, in person, or by his deputy,
on the lord chancellor. This salary is worthy of notice, as
the sum exceeds that which was attached to it, not only on
a subsequent appointment in this reign, but for a century
afterwards. It was, therefore, probably given as a special
remuneration to Smyth, whose influence appears to have
been increasing. It is certain that, while in this office, he
was solicited by the university of Oxford to interpose, on
a very critical occasion, when they had incurred the king’s
displeasure; and such was his influence, that his majesty
was pleased to remove their fears, and confirm their privileges. This occurred in the second year of Henry’s reign.
While Smyth held this office, we also find his name in a
writ of privy-seal for the foundation of Norbridge’s chantry
in the parish church of the Holy Trinity at Guildford,
along with Elizabeth, consort of Henry VII., Margaret,
countess of Richmond, his mother, Thomas Bourchier and
Reginald Bray, knights.

A few years after his being made clerk of the hanaper,
he was promoted to the deanery of St. Stephen’s, Westminster, a dignity usually conferred on some favourite
chaplain whom the king wished to have near his person.
The precise time of his arriving at this preferment cannot
be discovered, but it must have, been subsequent to July
28, 1480, when Henry Sharpe- occurs as dean. While, in
| this office he resided in Canon-row, and was honoured by
his i?oyal master with a seat in the privy-council. From
these preferments it may be inferred that Smyth’s talents
and address had justified the hopes of his family and patrons. He must certainly have been a favourite with the
king, and not less so with his mother, the countess of
Richmond, who on June 14, 1492, presented him to the
rectory of Cheshunt, which he quitted in 1494 for higher
preferment. She conferred upon him another mark of her
confidence, in appointing him one of the feoffees of those
manors and estates, which were to answer the munificent
purposes of her will. As to the reports of his former biographers, that he held, at one time, the archdeaconry of
Surrey, and the prepositure of Wells, Mr. Churton has
clearly proved that they have no foundation.

When the see of Lichfield and Coventry became vacant
by the death of bishop Hales, Dec. 30, 1490, the king
bestowed it on Smyth, by the style of “Our beloved and
faithful Counsellor, Dean of our free chapel within our
own palace at Westminster.” The time neither of his
election nor consecration is upon record, but the latter
is supposed to have taken place between the 12th and
29th of January 1492-3. The cause of so considerable an
interval from the death of his predecessor must probably
be sought in the capricious proceedings of the court of
Rome on such occasions. His final settlement in this see
was followed by a visitation of the clergy under his controul,
and the performance of those other duties incumbent on
his new station. His usual residences were at Beaudesert,
and at Pipe, both near Lichfield, or at his palace in London, which stood on the site of Somerset-house.

His next promotion was of the civil kind, that of president of the prince’s council within the marches of Wales.
The unsettled state of Wales had engaged the attention of
Henry VII as soon as he came to the throne; and the
wisest policy, in order to civilize and conciliate the inhabitants of that part of the kingdom, appeared to consist in
delegating such a part of the executive power as might
give dignity and stability to the laws, and ensure subjection
to the sovereign. With this view various grants and commissions were issued in the first year of his reign; and
about 1492, Arthur, prince of Wales and earl of Chester,
was included in a commission of the peace for the county
of Warwick, with archbishop Morton, Smyth, bishop of
| Lichfield and Coventry, and others. There was a renewal
of this commission in the 17th Henry VII. of which our prelate, who had then been translated to the see of Lincoln,
was again lord president. The prince’s court was held
chiefly at Ludlow-castle, long the seat of the muses,
honoured at this time with a train of learned men from the
universities, and afterwards immortalized by Milton and
Butler. Here bishop Smyth, although placed in an office
that seemed likely to divert him from the business of his
diocese, took special care that his absence should be compensated by a deputation of his power to vicars-general,
and a suffragan bishop, in whom he could confide: and
here he conceived some of fhose generous and liberal plans
which have conferred honour on his name. The first instance of his becoming a public benefactor was in rebuilding and re-endowing the hospital of St. John in Lichfield,
which had been suffered to go to ruin by the negligence
of the friars who occupied it. Accordingly, in the third
year of his episcopate, 1495, he rebuilt this hospital, and
gave a new body of statutes for the use of the society. Of
tiiis foundation it is only necessary to add here, that the
school attached to it, and afterwards joined to the adjacent
seminary of Edward VI. has produced bishops Smalridge
and Newton, the chief justices Willes and Parker, and
those illustrious scholars, Joseph Addison and Samuel
Johnson.

Smyth had been bishop of Lichfield somewhat more than
two years, when he was translated to Lincoln, November,
1495. In 1500 he performed a strict visitation of his cathedral, which his liberality had already enriched, and prescribed such matters of discipline and police as seemed
calculated to preserve order, and correct that tendency to
abuse, which rendered frequent visitations necessary. Nor
was his care of his diocese at large less actively employed,
in hearing and examining grievances, and promoting discipline and morals. “But perfection,” his biographer has
well observe:!, “is not the attribute of man and we learn
with less surprise than regret, that Smyth did not escape
;he common fault, of condemning heretics to the prison or
the stake.” For this no apology can here be offered. The
wonder is, that we are still solicited to a fellow-feeling
with a religion which could warp the minds of such men as
Smyth. It would have done enough to incur our aversion,
had it done no more than to stain the memory of those
| benefactors, to whose liberality the learning of the present
age is so deeply indebted.

In the last-mentioned year, Smyth was requested by the
university of Oxford to accept the office of chancellor, then
vacant by the death of archbishop Morton. How long he
continued chancellor is not exactly known, but his resignation must have taken place abont 150'i, when we find
Dr. Mayew held that office. In 1507-8, he concerted the
plan of Brasen-nose college, along with iiis friend sir Richard Sutton, and lived to see it completed. Of his death
we have few particulars, nor can his age be ascertained.
After making a will in due form, characterized by the
liberality which had distinguished his whole life, he expired at Buckden, Jan. 2, 1513-14, and was interred on
the south side of the nave of Lincoln cathedral, under a
marble grave stone, richly adorned with brass, which sir
William Dugdale had leisure to describe just before it was
destroyed by the republican soldiers or mob. A mural
monument was recently put up, with a suitable inscription,
by the rev. Ralph Cawley, D. D. and principal of Brasennose from 1770 to 1777.

The progress of this munificent work, Brasen-nose college, may be seen in our authorities. The charter of
foundation granted to bishop Smyth and Richard Sutton,
esq. is dated Jan. 15, 1511-12; and it is supposed that the
society became a permanent corporation on the feast of St.
Hugh, Nov. 17, 1512, or perhaps a little earlier. According tb the charter, the society was to consist of a principal and sixty scholars, to be instructed in the sciences
of sophistry, logic, and philosophy, and afterwards in divinity, and they might possess lands, &c. to the yearly
value of 1500l. beyond all burdens and repairs. The number of fellows, however, was not completed until their revenues, by being laid out on land, began to be certainly
productive.

The estates which bishop Smyth bestowed on the college
were chiefly two, Basset’s Fee, in the environs of Oxford,
which formerly is supposed to have belonged to the Bassets,
barons of Headington; and the entire property of the suppressed priory of Cold Norton, with its manors and estates
in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, which had been
sold to bishop Smyth by the convent of St. Stephen’s
Westminster for eleven hundred and fifty marks.1

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